Welsh Assembly Government Written Statement - National Social Services Conference 2009, Wales

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 19 Jun 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Title:
National Social Services Conference 2009

Date:
17 June 2009

By:
Gwenda Thomas ,Deputy Minister for Social Services

I am today making a keynote address at Wales' National Social Services Conference 2009 "Delivering the Change": A Shared Responsibility".

In this, I shall be recognising the improvements in performance made by Social Services authorities and social care in Wales, and placing these in the context of variations in performance, and in some cases unacceptable practice, which still have to be tackled. However, a succession of Chief Inspector Reports have provided evidence of these improvements and a report on the findings of 10 years of Joint Reviews in Wales, published yesterday by CSSIW and the Wales Audit Office, "Learning from the Journey", provides a clear evidenced route map of that journey of improvement.

Copies of the speech will be made available to you and, as you would expect, I am placing great emphasis on the importance of effective personalised and timely social services and social care services able to meet the needs of those who require their support.

We have a distinctive social services model for Wales and believe that integrated social services authorities, rooted in local government, are the way forward. We believe that social services are indivisible, and separating social services for children and adults is not something we favour.

I wanted you to know that I shall in the speech be making two announcements.

The first recognises the importance of clear professional leadership to take social services forward and involves the launching of the Guidance on the Role and Accountabilities of the Director of Social Services as Statutory Guidance under Section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970. You will receive a copy of the guidance for your personal attention.

The second is to announce the Government's intention to establish an independent commission to look at how social services meet the challenges of the next decade and how we can deliver the strategy "Fulfilled Lives: Supportive Communities". I want the commission to consider amongst other things, how we can:

- support the further development of professional practice
- build inclusive social services based on the contribution of all partners who work in social care
- effect a step change in collaboration
- ensure the achievement of integrated social services capable of meeting the needs of children, young people and adults and older people in the most effective way.

I intend to establish mechanisms and channels of communication where I can work collaboratively with the wide range of interests in social services to enable them to contribute to the development of the terms of reference of the commission and its composition and timeframe. I will keep Assembly Members informed on this work and make sure that there are arrangements put in place for them to contribute to it also.

The challenges faced by social services are significant and the opportunities are considerable. I am sure that, together, we can continue to build strong and effective services to meet the needs of the people of Wales for the future. I look forward to your help in doing so.

Source
Welsh Assembly Government